All About Clothing Consumption

In the past few years, shops such as Primark, Peacocks and Matalan have become firm favourites amongst the fashion conscious; I mean, where else can you buy an entire new outfit with your weekly pocket money allowance? Because more and more cheap shops like this now exist, it means that the price of clothing in general has gone down. But that’s a good thing, right? It may be good for your purse, but if you are constantly buying the newest, most bang-on-trend stuff, what is happening to all your ‘old’ clothes? Your wardrobe is probably getting to bursting point, full to the brim with throw-away fashion items that you just need to get rid of. Out goes the old favourite dress that your friends have seen you wear just too many times now, then the jumper that was soo warm you kept it on for, pretty much, the whole of winter.

We’ve all about Quality Vs. Quantity but have you ever thought about the quality and quantity of your clothes? It’s become so cheap and easy to get the most up-to-date, fashionable clothes that no-one really cares about the quality of them anymore. These days it’s all about quantity and being on trend 24/7. Because there are new styles and trends happening almost every week, shops are making sure we don’t want to keep the stuff we bought last month, let alone last year! This means that we’re throwing clothes away because they just aren’t cool anymore, not because they’re old and unwearable. The fashionistas and those in-the-know call this ‘Fast Fashion’; because to keep with the latest in fashion you have to be fast!

But what’s so wrong with any of that?

The problem is the quality of the cheap, fashionable clothes you’re buying. You might think, ‘Wow! That top is really cheap!’, but have you ever stopped to think why it’s so cheap? You probably haven’t and it’s not your fault; the top will be advertised in such an attractive way you won’t think of anything apart from snapping it up! Start by looking what it’s made from. Most synthetic, mass produced fabrics are really cheap which is why companies opt for them over more expensive fabrics. Then ask how the fabrics are made. Fabrics like cotton are natural and sourced from the ground, whereas fabrics like Polyester and Nylon are formed from chemicals.

And it’s not only the type of fabric your clothes are made of that you have to worry about either: it’s where they’re being made and whose making them. Poor countries such as India and Turkey have high populations of people who work in factories producing clothes, otherwise known as ‘sweat shops’. This is because their working conditions are so terrible: lots of people packed into confined spaces in high temperatures, with no breaks, getting paid very little money. And if you thought that was bad, you haven’t heard the worst of it yet. Children as young as 3 years old are being forced to work in places like this because their families are so poor and need the money. And you thought your part-time job was bad!

How You Can Help To Make A Difference...

• Find out more about the clothes you wear. Visit different shops websites or call and ask them their policies on Clothing Consumption and Sweat Shops.
• Wear what you have. Don’t buy as many clothes as often! Re-style what you already own and have a go at some fashion DIY.

  

• Learn more about fabrics and their origin. Baffle your friends with facts about them!
• Visit the Fair Trade organisation and see how you can get involved.